As Torquay United prepare for the National League South play-offs, we will now look back at the Gulls' previous campaigns in two parts.
1987-88
United’s first involvement in the end of season showdown came in the 1987-88 season when - after missing out on automatic promotion from the Fourth Division under the late Cyril Knowles - the Gulls were paired with Scunthorpe United, who they had lost out to on the final day of the campaign.
The first leg went well for Torquay as they won 2-1 with goals from Paul Dobson and Dave Caldwell in what proved to be an ill-tempered affair. Scunthorpe were reduced to ten men in a game that was most notable for Knowles walking away from his dugout to avoid being sent off himself.
There was no quarter given in the contest between Caldwell and the Iron defence – such was the ill-feeling for the return leg – which was also Scunthorpe’s last ever match at their Old Showground prior to their move to Glanford Park – that Caldwell was left on the bench by Knowles and he required a Police escort for the warm-up!
The return leg ended 1-1, which set up a final between United and Swansea City over two legs – Wembley finals for the Play-offs didn’t start until 1990. After losing 2-1 at the Vetch Field, Torquay could only manage a 3-3 draw in the second leg – which saw them miss out on a return to the third tier for the first time since 1972.
United’s second leg against Swansea was also their record 62nd competitive match of the campaign which restored a lot of pride to the club following their Bryn the Police Dog inspired ‘great escape’ of a year earlier.
1990-91
Three years later in the 1990-91 season, United reached the Play-offs again - after flirting with automatic promotion under Dave Smith before he was replaced by youth team coach John Impey. Impey had been a player in Knowles’ 1987-88 Play-off side and the Gulls secured a Play-off place on the final day with a 2-1 win over York City, which set up a semi-final with Burnley.
Goals from Dean Edwards and Matt Elliott gave Torquay a win over the Clarets at Plainmoor in the first leg, which proved to be enough to seal a return to Wembley for the Gulls – despite Burnley winning the return leg 1-0 at Turf Moor.
United's win also ended any hopes of an all-Lancashire final, as the Gulls’ opponents at Wembley would be Blackpool. Before the match, a minute’s silence was held in the memory of former Tangerines’ striker Stan Mortensen, who famously scored a hat-trick in the ‘Matthews final’ against Bolton Wanderers in 1953, who had recently passed away.
Blackpool soon had their noses in front through Paul Groves – but the Gulls struck back to equalise as Wes Saunders headed home a cross from Mark Loram. Shortly afterwards edged ahead when Dean Edwards converted from the penalty spot. An own goal in the second half from Chris Curran levelled matters on the night, and that was how it finished after 90 minutes, and even after 30 minutes extra time as the final head to penalties.
Mark Loram stepped up to take United’s first spot-kick, which was saved by Blackpool keeper Steve McIlhargey. His opposite number Tony Rodwell then stepped up for the Tangerines, but his effort was saved by United keeper Gareth Howells. Mickey Holmes, Saunders, Paul Holmes and Chris Myers then successfully converted their respective penalties for United as the scores remained level after five spot-kicks – as the final went into sudden death.
Then came a moment of history as Howells took United’s sixth spot-kick, which he fired home to become the first goalkeeper both score and save a penalty at Wembley to put Torquay back in front. It was then down to Blackpool’s leading scorer David Bamber to keep them in it. However, Bamber fluffed his lines and missed the target – thus meaning United were returning to the ‘old’ Third Division for the first time in 19 years, as the first side to win a penalty shoot-out in a play-off final at Wembley.
Nevertheless, the Gulls’ stay in the Third tier proved to be a brief one as they came straight back down again, and they then a second straight relegation under the caretaker manager spell of Neil Warnock in the 1992-93 season.
1993-94
In the following campaign – the 1993-94 season – under Don O’Riordan, Warnock’s successor, the Gulls made the Play-offs again after finishing sixth in the ‘new’ Third Division – following the formation of the Premier League in the 1992-93 campaign. This time they would be facing also Lancastrian opponent in the form of Preston North End.
Goals from Duane Darby and Darren Moore gave United a 2-0 lead heading into the return leg at Deepdale, which would also the last game played on Preston’s artificial surface.
Although Preston took an early lead, Gregory Goodridge’s kept United firmly in the driving seat before the game turned ten minutes before half-time when some theatrics from Paul Raynor got Darren Moore sent off – Raynor acted as though he had been struck by Moore, but the replays show that Moore hadn’t made contact with Raynor. The tie then ended up finishing 3-1, forcing the game into extra time. However, just as when it looked as though United had done enough to hold out for a win on away goals, Raynor popped up with the winner – sending Preston through to the final, which they would lose to a Wycombe Wanderers’ side managed by Martin O’Neill.
